Sadarth holds court

The Empire of Sadarth was united by a common Empress and by many emerging treaties for free trade and cooperation. With those bonds untested and the Empress unseen, it had no chance of surviving the coming war.

Sadarth had requested that an abandoned castle be restored for her to use as a place to command her armies from. She might have ordered it, but it was the mark of someone truly powerful if her requests had the weight of orders. Moreover, it chaffed less for her free cities. An adequate job had been done of restoring the castle. She quite liked the black stone faces and the large metal spikes, which contrasted and complimented the rather finer and more artistic work within. A chamber had been set aside for portals. The castle would suffice well as an audience hall and a place for a war council, so Sadarth instructed the free cities to each send a handful of their leading military officers. To this end, she provided portal transport. She thought it was a waste her talents to ferry other people around, but she did not care to wait for them to walk or ride or sail all the way.

At the appointed day and hour, her officers started filling into the audience chamber from the portal room. She had laid out a map there, noting all the relevant landmarks and armies.

Sadarth waited in an adjoining room. She was not paralyzed with fear. She was just waiting. She was not paralyzed with fear.

No one had seen her naked yet.

I am not afraid.

Sadarth was afraid. Now was the hour of reckoning. She had to reveal herself or all her work would be undone.